US Men vs Mexico Gold Cup Final Sun 7 pm on Fox
The Us held on for dear life and found a way to squeeze past the 106th ranked team in the World Guatemala to advance to their 13th Gold Cup Final where they will face Mexico a 2-0 winner over Honduras. The American’s dominated early behind 2 spectacular goals What a Goal by Diego Luna before slipping into a into the worse 50 minutes I have seen a US men’s team play in 20 years Hilights. Our “Coach” Poch continues to show what a horrific national team manager he is as – as his team was ridiculously dominated by team many US college teams could beat. NO IDEA what this guy is doing – but he’s not doing it right. We don’t look balanced in attack or defense or transition. We have no plan – the players are just running around the field – with no idea what they are doing. He subs late – and when he does his subs do NOTHING. I keep hearing the guys are close and feeling like a team – well they sure as heck don’t play like it.
Now the games have been exciting the US beating NO ONE on the way to the finals – struggling to beat CONCACAF teams – none of which is ranked in the top 60 in the World. Lets be Real – Mexico is going to kill us – 3-1 at best for the US. Our back line continues to show its weakness as our 3rd string left and right backs from MLS continue to show they can’t play defense. Thankfully Centerback Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) & the diminutive former Fulham Capt Tim Ream (37 years old – slow as molases) have played well in the middle. I am still waiting for Capt Tyler Adams to actually make a difference in a game as his partner Sebastian Berhalter has shown he deserves a look for our World Cup next year. The stars have been Diego Luna who at 21 has been our best/most competitive striker. Malik Tilman has also proven he deserves a chance to play with the A team come fall. Honestly those 2 might be competing for the #10 slot at some point. Again not sure why — but Poch decided not to bring in the B squad from Europe and instead is going with the young MLS players who honestly simply can’t play at the World Cup level. I do think he may have found a new Goalkeeper in Matt Freeze, especially if Matt Turner can’t get starter minutes in Europe. Otherwise we came in with 3 starters in Chris Richards/Tyler Adams & Matt Turner. We leave with Tilman, Luna and perhaps Luca de la Torre, Patrick Agyemang, & Jack McGlynn in the mix. If they can find a way to actually beat the only top 50 team we have played in this Gold Cup – Mexico on Sunday – I may change my tune. But the 3-1 loss we are about to get will continue to keep me in the FIRE POCH camp.
USMNT GOLD CUP DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (club/country; caps/goals):
GOALKEEPERS (4): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire; 0/0), Matt Freese (New York City FC; 0/0), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/ENG; 51/0)
DEFENDERS (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew; 3/0), Alex Freeman (Orlando City; 0/0), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union; 0/0), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC; 68/1), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/ENG; 24/1), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati; 32/3), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/GER; 4/0), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC; 43/3)
MIDFIELDERS (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/ENG; 47/8); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 44/2), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 0/0), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/ESP; 18/0), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC; 24/1), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake; 4/0), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo; 4/1), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union; 0/0); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 17/0)
FORWARDS (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/NED; 1/0), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC; 4/3), Damion Downs (FC Köln/GER; 0/0), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 4/1), Haji Wright INJURED -(Coventry City/ENG; 15/4)
US Women Dominate Canada 3-0 with our B Team
Unlike our men – our only real US Coach – Emma Hayes continues to show what a master she is. She continues to roll in new young players while our European Contingent has the summer off. Still the US dominated Canada 3-0 (Highlights) with the new young players like Alyssa Thompson and Michelle Cooper showing their mettle. Again we are the #1 team in the World – NO QUESTIONS asked. Probably why the US ladies continue to sell out every stadium they play in. Go USA! (Stories below)
The World Club Cup is Coming Down to Crunch Time this Weekend Semis Sat/Sun
So again I have to admit I have watched more of these than I thought I would – even watching in Spanish sometimes when the games are not in english (Chelsea 2 vs Palmeiras 1 Fri) yes the same Palmeiras that is hosting Carmel FC’s Summer Camp – (see below). Exciting games coming Sat – heck I am headed down to Atlanta for Bayern vs PSG on Saturday at noon on TNT and my buddy Oscar is headed to NJ for Real Madrid vs Dortmund at 4 pm on Uni/TNT.
Women’s European Championships Continue on Fox
The Women’s Euro’s have been enjoyable so far. Some really good games this weekend as France plays England Sat after Netherlands vs Wales. Read all about below and see the full game schedule.
Camps to Check out This Summer
Greyhound Girls Soccer Camp – Murray Stadium
Girls Jul 07 – Jul 09, 2025 at 9:00-10:30 $95 (5th-8th Grade) Register
Carmel High School Soccer Camp- Boys – Murray Stadium 6:30-8:30 pm
July 21-23 $125
Questions? Please contact Coach Shane Schmidt at sschmidt@ccs.k12.in.us
CARMEL FC & PALMEIRAS CAMP
Palmeiras Soccer Camps for players aims to let all participants develop their full technical, tactical and physical potential no matter their skill level. Day by day they will learn to enhance their strengths and will be stimulated to understand their own weaknesses. Players participating will be coached by Palmeiras Professional Coaches and may be invited to join Palmeiras Academy in Brazil for tryout. Register now!
Camp dates: July 21-25 Ages: 7-16 Location: Carmel Clay Community Soccer Complex, Home of Carmel FC: Price: $295 REGISTER
TV GAME SCHEDULE
GC=Gold Cup, WCC = World Club Cup in US WE -Women’s Euros
Fri, July 4th
12 noon FS1 Denmark vs Sweden WE
3 pm Fox Germany vs Poland WE
3 pm TNT, Unimas Fluminense vs Al Hilal WCC
7:30 pm FS1 Dallas vs Minn MLS
9 pm TNT Chelseas vs Palmeiras WCC
10:30 pm Apple LA Galaxy vs Vancouver MLS
Sat, July 5th
12 noon FS1 Wales vs Netherlands W Euros
12 noon TNT PSG vs Bayern Munich WCC
3 pm Fox France vs England WE
4 pm TNT Real Madrid vs Borrusia Dortmund WCC
7 pm FS1 Charlotte vs Orlando MLS
7:30 pm TV 8 Indy 11 vs Hometown Heros
8:30 pm Apple Free Austin City vs LAFC MLS
Sun, July 6th
12 noon FS1 Norway vs Finland W Euros
3 pm FS1 Switzerland vs Iceland WE
5 pm Apple free Seattle Sounders vs Columbus Crew MLS
7 pm FOX USA Men vs Mexico GOLD CUP FINAL
Mon, July 7 th
12 noon FS1 Spain vs Belgium W Euros
3 pm Fox Portugal vs Italy WE
Tues, July 8th
12 noon FS1 Germany vs Denmark W Euros
Wed, July 9
12 noon FS1 England vs Netherland W Euros
3 pm Fox France vs Wales WE
3 pm TBS Fifa WCC Semis
7 pm CBSSN Philly Union vs NYRB MLS
== July 4th BarBQ -RackZ BAR BQ =Save 20% ==
Looking for some solid backporch BarBQ this summer? Getting Ready for a July 4th Party or summer cookout? Try out the Best BarBQ in Town right across the street (131st) from Northview Church on the corner of Hazelldell & 131st. RackZ BBQ
Save 20% on your order
(mention the ole ballcoach)
Check out the BarBQ Ribs, pulled Pork and Chicken, Brisket and more. Sweet, Tangy or Spicy sauce. Mention you heard about it from the Ole Ballcoach — and Ryan will give you 20% off your next meal. https://www.rackzbbqindy.com/ Call ahead at 317-688-7290 M-Th 11-8 pm, 11-9 Fri/Sat, 12-8 pm on Sunday. Pick some up after practice – Its good eatin! You won’t be disappointed and tell ’em the Ole Ballcoach Sent You!
=======RackZ BAR BQ ====Save 20%===
US Men
USMNT still hasn’t had a convincing win since Pochettino took over. Time is running out
Diego Luna, USMNT’s Gold Cup hero, is ready to take on Mexico in final
Luna eclipse: No stars, no problem as USMNT finds new focal point
Poch: ‘Desperate’ Luna sets example for USMNT
Concacaf Gold Cup as it happened: Luna sends USMNT to final
USMNT Hang On for 2-1 Win in Gold Cup Semis
The USMNT survived Guatemala. Mexico wins too
How confident should U.S. feel ahead of Gold Cup Final vs. Mexico?
US Men Seek Statement Win vs Mexico in Final – Charles Bohm
Diego Luna books USA vs. Mexico showdown in Gold Cup final
US Ladies Dominate Canada 2-0
USA 3-0 Canada – The Continental Classico comes home
Lavelle and Co. are responding well to Hayes’ USWNT challenges
Claire Hutton scores first USWNT goal in win over Canada
Stoney slams ‘inexcusable’ Canada loss to USWNT
24 in 24: Rodriguez nets in another USWNT debut
World Club Cup
How confident should U.S. feel ahead of Gold Cup Final vs. Mexico?
Who are the Al Hilal players knocked out City and have eyes on the Club World Cup?
Euros Women
Euro 2025 team-by-team preview, predictions, key players, more
Kosola’s goal secures Finland’s 1-0 win over Iceland in Euro 2025 opener
Switzerland stuns Norway with wonder goal at home Euros opener
Shock at the start: Germany captain forced off
Euro 2025: Caruso ruthless as Italy edge debut with narrow win
3 things you may have missed from Spain’s win over Portugal
To the Football…   |
 |
USA 2-1 Guatemala  |
| The good news: Our young, raw, shorthanded squad made it to Sunday’s final in Houston. The bad news: Barely. In surreally hostile conditions on home turf in St. Louis, the United States were dominated for long spells by 106th in the world Guatemala. The experience of witnessing the game was akin to watching a rom-com movie suddenly pivot into a slasher flick. We held on, and Mexico now await. Poch’s young charges are on a CONCACAFFY hero’s journey, taking their lumps, learning their lessons, and holding on. They will become all the stronger for this experience. The question of how good we are still lingers, and, considering the “deep down in the depth chart” quality of most of these players, whether much of it matters. |
WATCH: Clint Dempsey and I break down that mood swing of a game on our USA-Guatemala episode of THE DEUCE  |
A Star is Born: Diego Luna  |
| Two goals inside 15 minutes, the first a delicious finish after demonstrating sharper spidey ball awareness than all those around him, the second a must-watch moment of pure, uncorked, delirious skill. Clint Dempsey has said to us, all tournament long, that our young players have a World Cup squad place in their hands, with nothing to lose. All he wanted was for one to step up and grab the chance without fear – to take on opponents and refuse to be ignored. Alongside Malik Tillman, Diego Luna has been that player. The 21-year-old from Sunnyvale, Calif. now has three goals and two assists across five matches. Poch said post-game, “[His] attitude, hunger, desire, everything, and then for sure, the talent will appear. But that is what we expect from our athletes, that’s what we want.” |
| I loved Luna’s own quote post game: “The game is 90 minutes of hundreds of moments, and you’ve got to execute on each one.” That is his attitude. I chatted with Diego in Austin the night before the Saudi game. I asked him what he feels like when he takes possession. He told me he tries to tell himself to just have fun, like he did as a kid playing in the park in San Jose. It reminded me of something Clint says on The Deuce, “You got to be serious about having fun.” That is what Diego Luna is doing this summer. |
| Let the debates begin about whether he should now be an A-Team starter, a spark plug off the bench, or as Simon Evans suggested, Poch should unleash all his toys. |
| How Did 106th in the World Guatemala Then Seize the Game by the Throat and Start to Overwhelm Us? |
| First of all — THEIR FANS ARE AMAZING. The game might have been in St. Louis, but that sold-out stadium felt like it was in Guatemala City. What a fanbase. John Strong said the terraces were “90% Guatemalan fans.” I am not Guatemalan, but when their national anthem rang out pre-game, I found the noise, and joy, and pride emanating around the stadium to be immensely moving. Let’s never use the complaint that tickets are too expensive for this tournament again – because the Guatemala fans showed out. |
| The Guatemalan players fed off the fan energy and simply overwhelmed us, relentlessly pressing the U.S. backline into mistakes that against a sharper team would have been punished. Before the U.S. scored their second, Poch’s boys had 70% possession. After it, we had just 40%. We were outshot 20-12. The noise once Guatemala scored was an epic moment. The last 10 minutes were an agony as the U.S. could not hold onto the ball going forward. Clint said, if the game went on for five more minutes, the outcome could have been so different. I have to salute the gutsy Los Chapines and their Mexican coach, Luis Fernando Tena. That fan base deserves all the joy. They are a glimpse of the passion and competitive fire which can make the Gold Cup grow and grow in the future. May a first-ever World Cup qualification be their solace. |
| So How Good Are We? |
| It is impossible to say. The quality of our line-up is between B and C string. The opponents we are facing are, despite their admirably ferocious CONCACAF mentalities, so far from true footballing challenges, the likes of which we would meet in the knockout round of the World Cup. Right now, we are to football what Jake Paul is to boxing. |
| This young squad are on a journey. What matters are the lessons they are learning along the way together. They have made the final. A Gold Cup trophy would be lovely but the optics of it are what will be important for Poch. A symbol of forward momentum and the ability to deliver a simple message to the players who did not report: “We won without you. We achieved this with a fighting culture and a willingness to struggle. This is what you now have to fit into if you want to be part of this World Cup.” |
| That is what Poch is attempting: An act of cultural transformation, from complacency to collective audacity. This is all that matters. |
Bring on Mexico  |
| The eighth time we dance against our arch rivals in the final (7 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Sports). Javier Aguirre’s side outlasted a feisty Honduras 1-0 thanks to this Raúl Jiménez goal. The assist was from 16-year-old Gilberto Mora who is 459 DAYS YOUNGER than Lamine Yamal. Mexico are struggling to create in a similar way to us, but they have not allowed a goal in 383 minutes. Indeed, goalkeeper Luis Malagón has had to make only one save in the last three games. More on them here from our friends at Give N Go. One thing is sure: NRG Stadium in Houston is going to feel like the Azteca. I cannot wait. Much more on Mexico below. |
| Whatever happens, come and join Clint and me postgame live on YouTube and chop it up with The Deuce. |
I would love to hear from you all. Let me know how you think it is going to go. Email me at meninblazers@gmail.com  |
Clint Dempsey on Diego Luna’s breakout performance  “He was on fire tonight, man, and he’s shown that he’s a guy that can be counted on, the way that he took that first touch off the deflection off the goalie, moving it to his left side, calm-as-you-like finish. And the way he rolled the ball to do a scissor and then just pushed it in with his right foot for the second. He was the bright spot of the game, not only the two goals, but just the way he played throughout. He was dangerous.”USMNT Only@usmntonlyDIEGO LUNA AGAIN OMFG 11:23 PM • Jul 2, 2025 4.8K Likes 313 Retweets 79 Replies“I think the key for him (Luna) is not to get too high during these big moments that he’s having right now, in terms of the brace that he had tonight. He’s continuing to try to build on that and to try to be more consistent in bringing a certain type of level, every game, but he’s someone that’s growing in front of our eyes. He’s still raw, but I’m excited about seeing what will come of him and he’s just got to keep his head on straight and keep grinding and keep doing what he’s been doing.”Clint Dempsey on the U.S. struggles after grabbing the early lead “It was a tough watch after 20 minutes. It looked like we were leaking oil and, if the game would have gone on a little bit longer, maybe they would have got the equalizer. But hey, we talked about it: 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in the game, especially when you feel like you’re playing away from home with a 90% Guatemalan crowd. Still though, the U.S. got it done.”Clint Dempsey on what it’s like playing on home turf, but in an environment that feels like an away game “All you ever want to do is represent your country and play in big games, and then you wanna play in packed stadiums. And yeah, you wish it was more so the stadium was packed for you, but it’s like… you got to find it, you got to fuel your fire, right? You gotta motivate yourself to, hey, let’s quiet the crowd. We’re in America, we got to let them know this is our home. And that’s how we came out and that’s how we approached it in the first 20 minutes, before we kind of let the game slip away from us. But credit to them, man – coming out, packing the stadium, making memories.”Clint Dempsey on Pochettino potentially playing Diego Luna and Christian Pulisic together “The thing with Luna is, can he be more consistent? He’s definitely upped his goal production in MLS and he’s building into the player that he wants to be because of that confidence that he’s got now of being able to score in these big moments and step up and create that energy. You want game changers and people that can create, and those two players are definitely creating, but Luna still has a way to go to get to the levels of Christian.”Clint Dempsey on the importance of reaching the Gold Cup final “We needed them to get to the final and be in a position to try to turn things around as we build towards the World Cup. And gradually, it’s happening, but you can see that it’s starting to shift and you’re starting to see some players step up– like Luna, like Tillman, like Richards–that are pushing to get into our best starting XI.”Clint Dempsey on the three USMNT players who’ve set themselves apart at this tournament “Agyemang is still raw and has some work, but he had a part to play in one of the goals tonight in terms of hold-up play with Tillman, but Luna, bro, he’s right there with Tillman and Chris Richards. Those are the three guys that are really knocking on the door to break into the starting lineup.”Clint Dempsey on the Premier League team he almost joined “For sure, it was between Everton and Fulham – they were the ones that put in the bids. MLS accepted Fulham’s because it was the most and so it was kind of out of my hands. But at the end of the day, I’m happy I got to go to Fulham and had a great time there.”Watch the full episode to get all of Clint’s thoughts on the USMNT’s win against Guatemala, and make sure to follow The Deuce on TikTok and YouTube for even more Texas-infused insight.  |
| Hello, Viejo Amigo We’ve seen this movie many times before, so it isn’t surprising that the USMNT’s pickup squad of MLS prospects, relative unknowns and the odd veteran are meeting the CONCACAF Gold Cup’s most successful-ever team, Mexico, in this year’s final. Since its 1991 inception, these two have collided seven times at this tournament’s apex, with Mexico winning five of those matches and the U.S. twice, both with just a one-goal margin. There’ve been 17 Gold Cups and the 2025 finalists hold 16 between them. Although El Tri boasts nine of those dubs, over recent years, the power balance between the two nations has started to level out. Mexico are 17th in FIFA’s rankings and with the USMNT a narrow place ahead in 16th, their talent pool now spills across European leagues more prominently than ever before. But unlike the U.S., Mexico’s box office names are pretty much all here and accounted for, and in their 1-0 win over Honduras in the semi-final, Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez was decisive with his finish; although he’s 34, his mission to become his country’s all-time top goalscorer is on course.Mexico’s current formation doesn’t really allow for his deputy, AC Milan’s Santiago Giménez, to earn a regular starting place in the side, but that’s the sort of heavy-attacking artillery that this specific USMNT squad do not have in reserve. Along with the captain, West Ham’s all-action center midfielder, Edson Álvarez, and 16-year-old Gilberto Mora, who assisted Jiménez with his goal yesterday, there is a lot that Poch knows he needs to be wary of. Oh, and lest we forget, mythical 39-year-old goalkeeper, Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa, fiery as ever, albeit now as a backup on the bench, where his main-character energy still somehow permits him to receive yellow cards, despite not playing a minute of football yesterday. Listen to Ochoa’s recent conversation with Herc Gomez on VAMOS to get ready for Sunday night’s clash. |
Can Gold Cup final be USMNT’s first good win under Pochettino?
Ryan O’Hanlon ESPN Jul 4, 2025, 07:47 AM ET
Think back to a little over a month ago. Before the ChatGPT screenshots. Before the feuds. Before the say-it-to-my-face provocations. Before U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino told us, “I am not a mannequin.” Before Christian Pulisic played golf at the wrong time. Before the embarrassing loss to Switzerland.
Now that you’ve occupied that headspace, imagine if I told you that the U.S. men’s national team would go undefeated through the first five games of the Gold Cup. The USMNT would get a pair of breakout performances from Diego Luna and Malik Tillman. And would get a date in the final against Mexico.
Advertising
You’d be pretty happy with that, wouldn’t you?
And by and large, many USMNT fans and watchers are pretty happy. The team hasn’t lost yet. It has overcome some adversity. Luna has become a cult hero. And Tillman is about to join Bayer Leverkusen for a transfer fee of around $40 million. Given that most of the team’s first-choice players are not on the roster, it has been a successful summer.
There’s one thing missing — from this summer and the Pochettino era, at large: The team hasn’t played a good game yet.
Editor’s Picks
The USMNT is a mess. That’s the price of the U.S. becoming a ‘soccer country’
14dRyan O’Hanlon
If Americans don’t move in this transfer window, is the USMNT’s 2026 World Cup doomed?
3dRyan O’Hanlon
Diego Luna, USMNT’s Gold Cup hero, is ready to take on Mexico in final
21hJeff Carlisle
It has been 15 matches since Pochettino took over, and we still haven’t seen the USMNT outplay decent, competitive opposition in a systematic, repeatable way. The U.S. has taken advantage of mistakes against bad teams, struggled to score against defensive sides, fallen apart against talented opponents and hung on against national teams that might not qualify for the next World Cup.
Sunday’s final — against Mexico, in front of what could be a partisan Mexico crowd at Houston’s NRG Stadium — will be the toughest game of Pochettino’s fledgling tenure. It’ll be the final time the U.S. plays a competitive match before the World Cup. It’ll also be Pochettino’s last chance to show that his team might be headed in the right direction.
How does Pochettino stack up with his USMNT predecessors?
Since 2013, the USMNT has played 60 tournament games in Concacaf across the Nations League and Gold Cup. This isn’t a perfect baseline, given the drastically different opponent quality game to game, but it’s a nice way of presenting the average expectation for a Gold Cup or Nations League match.
In these games, per Stats Perform data, the USMNT averages:
- 2.4 non-penalty goals scored
- 0.6 goals against
- 14.7 shots
- 9.6 shots against
- 61.6% of all final-third possession
- 28.9 touches in the penalty area
- 14.6 touches allowed in the penalty area
None of that should be surprising. The U.S. has basically doubled up its opponent in most of the top-level attacking statistics: goals, final-third possession and penalty-area touches. This is expected from a country that has been one of the two dominant powers in the region over the past 30 years.
Here, though, are the same numbers for the USMNT in Pochettino’s nine games in charge across the two competitions:
- 2.0 non-penalty goals scored
- 0.9 goals against
- 12.6 shots
- 8.0 shots against
- 63.7% of all final-third possession
- 24.7 touches in the penalty area
- 15.1 touches allowed in the penalty area
This, roughly, paints the tactical picture of the USMNT under Pochettino, thus far. The team is controlling more of the territory than the USMNT had in the past, but that’s not leading to better outcomes or outputs. The U.S. is generating fewer goals, shots and penalty-area touches from the increased final-third dominance, but it is also allowing more penalty-area touches and goals despite the final-third dominance.
Of course, some of that could be randomness. Perhaps this newfound level of territorial control is creating a more sound process — but the bounces just aren’t going the USMNT’s way. That’s possible across a nine-match sample. But that hasn’t been the case. Across the same 60-match span of games, the USMNT has created 2.0 non-penalty expected goals per game and allowed 0.7. Under Pochettino, the defense has been right at that 0.7 average, but the offensive production has dipped to 1.5 xG created per game. This happened in each of the USMNT’s past two matches. Against Costa Rica, the only chance the U.S. created worth more than 0.15 xG was Malik Tillman’s missed penalty. The totals below include the penalties for each team, but even with a lopsided shot count in the USMNT’s favor, the overall chance quality was roughly even. This game went to a penalty kick shootout, and deservedly so. Orange dots are goals, purple dots are shots, and the bigger dots mean higher xG per attempt. Then, after grabbing an early 2-0 lead in the semifinals, the U.S. hung on. Conceding 20 shots to Argentina or Spain is one thing, but this was against Guatemala. Transfermarkt estimates the transfer value of Guatemala’s Gold Cup squad to be one-fifth of what Bayer Leverkusen will pay to acquire Tillman. Put another way, the average player on the USMNT squad this summer carries an estimated transfer value of about €7 million. Added together, Guatemala’s entire squad comes out to €8.3 million. Why the Gold Cup final against Mexico means everything, and nothing
I’m not sure you need advanced stats to understand this. Across two matches against Costa Rica and Guatemala, the USMNT scored four goals and conceded three. Costa Rica ranks 46th in the World Football Elo ratings, while Guatemala ranks 75th. Even wi h a U.S. B-team, you’d expect some more comfortable results.Mexico, meanwhile, is 22nd. So, Sunday’s match presents a first and last for Pochettino: the last chance to win something before the World Cup, but the first time he has coached the team in a game it is not expected to win. Due to the USMNT’s depleted roster and what’s expected to be a pro-Mexican crowd in Texas, El Tri are very slight favorites. Per the implied odds from ESPN BET, Mexico has a 52% chance of lifting the trophy. Strangely, it feels like everything and nothing hinges on Sunday’s game. Nothing matters because this isn’t the team Pochettino will take to the World Cup. Plus, a lot can and will change between now and next summer — and most of it will have nothing to do with decisions made by anyone in a U.S. Soccer shirt, either. But there are so few games in international soccer that we have no choice but to give each game an outsized amount of weight. Every successive match is another bit of imperfect information about the quality of the team. That’s how a rating system will view it, too. Per the Elo ratings, the USMNT had a rating of 1738 and a ranking of 37th when Pochettino took over. Currently, it has a rating of 1727 and a ranking of 40. Teams win and lose points every time they play a game, based on the result, quality of the opponent and level of the competition. So, if the USMNT wins Sunday, it’ll make progress under its new coach. If the team loses, it’ll take a step backward. And if the match ends in a draw (and goes to penalties), the U.S. will stay where it is now: not significantly better or worse than where it was before.
Lifting Gold Cup against Mexico can give Pochettino’s USMNT the belief he craves
By Paul Tenorio July 3, 2025
ST. LOUIS — As the realities faded from what this summer was supposed to be into what it was going to be, the goal of the tournament for the United States men’s national team never truly shifted.The Gold Cup was meant to be the month when Mauricio Pochettino and his staff finally got some time with the group that they would lead into next year’s home World Cup. But the FIFA Club World Cup, injuries and Christian Pulisic’s decision to request the summer off meant the U.S. went into the tournament without many of its regulars. That shifted expectations, at least on the outside. Internally, the group still believed the goal was singular: to win a trophy.On Sunday night in Houston, a group of players who have used this summer to try to force their way into the World Cup picture will get that chance against rivals Mexico. After two ugly friendly losses to start the summer, the U.S. can end it with a continental title. To do so, they’ll have to beat the best team they will have seen being beaten by Turkey and Switzerland.It felt, after those two friendly losses, that Pochettino’s desire to send a message to the wider national team pool was going to be a lost cause. But the U.S. squad’s ability to grind out results — albeit against Saudi Arabia, Haiti, Costa Rica and Guatemala — has given Pochettino enough of what he was looking for from the group. He wanted grittiness. He asked for more fight. It has not always been pretty, but this team has given him that foundational baseline.Beating Mexico would only reinforce the message that heart, desire and fight can be a differentiator. After the 2-1 win against Guatemala on Wednesday night in the semifinal, Pochettino’s press conference turned into somewhat of an assessment of footballing culture in countries such as Argentina, where he’s from, and how it compares to the States. Pochettino came away impressed by a highly partisan Guatemalan crowd. It felt like an 85-15 tilt toward the Chapines in the heartland of America. For fans of the sport in this country, it’s not a new phenomenon. But Pochettino has been coaching this U.S. team for less than a year. He’s still experiencing these things for the first time.Guatemala was playing in a Gold Cup semifinal for the first time since 1996 and just the second time ever. That made it a must-attend event for their fans, who came from around the country to rally behind a team that had shown real character over the course of the tournament. The scene around the stadium all day on Wednesday was a celebratory one. Blue-and-white clad fans were out eight hours before kickoff, grilling and partying. When the national anthem started a few minutes before kickoff, the stadium vibrated with the voices of Guatemalan fans singing proudly.“I loved it,” U.S. winger Diego Luna told reporters after the game. “It was awesome, man. That’s what every game should be like. The Guatemalans should be very proud of the fans that they have and the energy they bring. It’s badass.”
Diego Luna has been one of the USMNT’s biggest recent bright spots. (Jeff Le/Getty Images)
Pochettino loved it, too.“That is football,” Pochettino told reporters after the game. “When we say the connection between the fans and the team, that is the connection that we would like to see in the World Cup. That connection that makes you fly. Because the energy translates.“Today, do you think that was a sport, two teams playing, and doing a spectacle? No, you play for something more. You play for emotion. You play to be happy, be sad.“I saw players of Guatemala crying. I said, ‘Congratulations, because you are in a good way.’ That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same. Things happen because you play for your pride, you play for many, many things. But this is good for our players. Because when we talk about culture, that is culture. To see Guatemala’s team, how it fights, how it comes here and how the fans behave. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country.“But I am not here to tell you that we need to do this or that. Only that sometimes, we talk about culture… I come from Argentina. And Argentina is not the same, win or lose. The consequences are massive.”
Mauricio Pochettino has cause for cheer after the USMNT’s recent turnaround. (Bill Barrett / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
It was less a critique of American soccer culture and more an acknowledgement of the reality when we talk about the growth of this sport. The 1994 World Cup helped to establish soccer as a legitimate sport in the U.S. It launched a professional league. Thirty-two years later, that culture is still growing. As the team has struggled recently, the support has understandably waned. Since the Copa América exit last summer (and at times before it), the U.S. has played in front of relatively empty stadiums and now in a hostile home environment. Pochettino yearned for the World Cup stage where, in all likelihood, it will be a large pro-American crowd urging the team on — just as it was during home qualifiers in the 2022 cycle.
More importantly, though, Pochettino wanted to break off the intensity of the night to inject into the group. He wanted that live-or-die feeling to exist within his team the way he felt it had for Guatemala on a night when its supporters were just as much a part of the result as any Guatemalan player on the field.Pochettino returned to the idea later in an answer, this time in Spanish. This time, he spoke to his own emotion and attachment to the game. “I have a lot of respect for this sport, it gave me everything,” Pochettino said. “That gave me the possibility to achieve the dreams of a little kid who was in the middle of the field in Murphy, Argentina. If it hadn’t been for this sport, for soccer, I wouldn’t be able to achieve everything I’ve achieved.“That’s why I have the utmost respect for Guatemala and the game. I can answer that it was incredible, how the Guatemalan fans lifted the team and gave them energy. And the truth is, it was important, too, for us to play in an environment like this, even if it’s here in St. Louis, to be in a hostile environment with constant noise every time Guatemala took the ball from any position on the field.“That added stress also means we learn to compete better and behave differently from a sporting perspective. And that’s something for this young group, with some experienced players, that will be very useful for the future.” It will be beneficial in the immediate term, for sure. The U.S. will likely face a similarly biased crowd against Mexico in Houston. Their experience against Guatemala can instantly be applied to a bigger stage.
Mexico, led by star striker Raul Jimenez, will go into the Gold Cup final as favorite. (Shaun Clark / Getty Images)
“This game tonight would be like the little brother to the U.S.-Mexico game,” U.S. center back Chris Richards said. “If they were a bit nervous for that one, the next one is going to be a lot bigger. It was really important for some of the younger guys to experience that.”Beating Mexico in the final can be a validating moment, just as it was at the 2021 Gold Cup, when a squad that was similarly missing several top players won a trophy a few months after the full-strength squad had beaten El Tri in the Nations League. That win added to the culture and belief within the program. And several players from that group ended up making the World Cup team a year later. That should provide plenty of motivation for this group, too. If Pochettino wanted to use this summer to create a bonding moment — within the team, between the staff and the team, and the team with its fan base — a title can help accomplish all those things. The task after that will be to carry it forward into the next phase of preparation for the World Cup.But first, Mexico awaits. (Top photo: John Dorton / ISI Photos /USSF / Getty Images)
Tim Ream: ‘Shame’ on USMNT critics as Luna goals set up Mexico final
By Paul Tenorio July 3, 2025
ST. LOUIS — After what felt like the entire stadium sang Guatemala’s national anthem, and as the Chapines fans roared, U.S. men’s national team defender Tim Ream gathered his young teammates around him in a pregame huddle.“Just take a breath,” Ream told them. “Listen to what we’re doing. Look at what we’re doing. Embrace what we are doing. And enjoy it.”Not every minute of the U.S.’s 2-1 win over Guatemala at Energizer Park was enjoyable. The U.S. had to survive the final 10 minutes, when their lead got cut in half as their opponent fed off of a blue-and-white partisan crowd. But, they did hold up and pull through. And the U.S. team is now headed to the Concacaf Gold Cup final, where they will meet rivals Mexico in front of what will no doubt be another unfriendly crowd.The experience of Wednesday night will go a long way toward helping them navigate what, for many of these players, will be the biggest stage they have played on.“We’re on to a final, a final that I’d say a month ago, everyone basically counted us out of,” Ream said. “Shame on them. So, for us, it’s like: great, amazing. It’s knockout football. You find a way to win. You find a way to grind it out. You find a way to do it. And why shouldn’t we be happy to go on to a final and play for a trophy? That’s why we play this game, to play in front of crowds like that and play for trophies.”
Guatemala fans dominated the crowd for the Gold Cup semifinal. (Jeff Le / Getty Images)
The U.S. was able to take the juice out of the crowd early. Diego Luna’s fourth-minute goal sucked away some of the pregame energy. His second goal, 11 minutes later, allowed the U.S. to seize the game for the first half hour.Guatemala started to find more of the game as it went on. The U.S. sat a bit deeper in the second half, content to defend and deny good chances, protecting the two-goal lead. But that allowed the Guatemalan fans to urge their team on.Missed opportunities for a third goal extended the hope. And that turned Guatemala’s 80th-minute goal into a massively threatening moment. Guatemala had the momentum. They had what was essentially a home crowd providing them energy.“I think we need to hold the ball more, be better on the ball in those moments under pressure,” Luna said. “It’s new for a lot of guys to play in environments like this. I think just being better under pressure and in moments like that — and that’s something we can build off. This is a great example for what’s to come, probably, on Sunday (in the final).”Pochettino made some interesting substitutions in the second half, inserting John Tolkin as a left wing-back and Max Arfsten sliding more into a center-back role. Jack McGlynn, not exactly known for his defending, was summoned for Tyler Adams.Pochettino defended both changes at his postgame press conference, saying he was protecting Adams, who had some issues with his hamstring against Costa Rica, and taking off Luca de la Torre, who had a yellow card. After Guatemala’s goal, Walker Zimmerman was summoned for Arfsten to stabilize the back line.From that point, it was survive and advance, as the U.S. pushed back against wave after wave of Guatemala throwing everything forward.“As much as everyone wants to dominate games for 75 to 90 minutes, you can’t anymore,” Ream said. “There’s always going to be moments in games that the other team has a little bit of a spark and a jump. Obviously, with the number of their fans, they get more, and that’s OK. We just have to figure out how to weather that storm. It, of course, spurred them on to push and fight. They had nothing else to lose, right?”
Diego Luna got the United States off to a quick start. (Jeff Le / Getty Images)
Pochettino used questions about Guatemala as an entry point to talk about the culture of the sport and how he wants to see its culture evolve in the U.S.“Do you think that was a sport, two teams playing, and doing a spectacle? No, you play for something more,” Pochettino said. “You play for emotion. You play to be happy, be sad. I saw players of Guatemala crying. I said, ‘Congratulations, because you are in a good way.’ That is the way that we need to feel. And our fans need to feel the same.“It’s not to come here to enjoy the spectacle, and if you lose, nothing happens. Yes, (a lot) happens. Things happen because you play for your pride, you play for many, many things. … But I think this is good for our players. Because when we talk about culture, that is culture. To see (Guatemala’s) team, how (it) fights, how (it) comes here and how the fans behave. That is an important thing that we need to learn here in this country.“But I am not (here) to tell (you) that we need to do this or that. Only that sometimes, we talk about culture. … But I come from Argentina. And Argentina is not the same, win or lose. The consequences are massive.”This summer, so far, the U.S. has been winning. Next up will be a final against Mexico. Pochettino will again see a partisan crowd, with Houston’s NRG Stadium likely to be pro-Mexican for the championship match.After an early exit from the Copa América and two losses in the Nations League in March, a win over Mexico in a final would go a long way toward convincing more fans ahead of the World Cup.“None of it’s going to happen unless we continue to win,” Ream said. “And, for us, what’s the hallmark of a U.S. team? Fighting.“Togetherness. And that’s what we’re finding and doing in this tournament. It’s not always going to be perfect. It’s not always going to be pretty. But doing that kind of fosters that connection with the fans, with the diehards, with the casuals, with everybody. And as long as we continue to do that, then that culture grows, the feelings grow and the connections grow.”(Top photo: Bill Barrett / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
USWNT revives set piece dominance with 3-0 win over continental rival Canada
By Tamerra Griffin July 2, 2025
The third and final match for the U.S. women’s national team in its busy window, and arguably its toughest test against continental opponent Canada, ended with its third consecutive victory. The USWNT sealed a 3-0 victory at Audi Field in Washington in front of a sold-out crowd Wednesday evening.Goals from midfielders Sam Coffey and Claire Hutton opened the scoring in the first half; both were results of set pieces delivered by the third midfielder in their lineup, Rose Lavelle. Second-half substitutes Yazmeen Ryan and Tara McKeown combined to bring the U.S. up to three.Coffey’s 17th-minute goal was her third in the last five games for the U.S., and Hutton’s, a head nod off a corner kick in the 36th minute, was her first for the U.S. senior team.Fifty-three minutes later, McKeown, who was very much at home in Audi Field where she plays for the Washington Spirit, carried the ball confidently forward before releasing it to Ryan. After wresting herself from pressure near the top of the penalty box, Ryan unleashed a left-footed shot past Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, the final blow to the Canadians, who are ranked eighth in the world.
U.S. forward Yazmeen Ryan celebrates scoring during the second half against Canada. (Brad Smith / Getty Images)
The U.S. victory caps off two 4-0 wins against the Republic of Ireland in Commerce City, Colo., and Cincinnati last Thursday and Sunday, respectively. Across the three fixtures, the USWNT scored 11 goals and conceded none, all while head coach Emma Hayes has employed a heavy rotation of players throughout this international window. The team’s starting XI for its second meeting with Ireland was a completely different lineup from the first.The lineup for Tuesday’s match against Canada, however, was nearly identical to last Thursday’s, except for 32-year-old striker Lynn Biyendolo, the most capped forward with 83 appearances, replacing 21-year-old Ally Sentnor.The opening minutes of the match saw the U.S. on the front foot against a Canadian side that was organized and steely and under new head coach and former San Diego Wave manager Casey Stoney. Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who earned her second start and second cap, made a critical save against her Seattle Reign teammate Jordyn Huitema to maintain a first-half shutout.As the game wore on and the U.S. tightened its grip, exploiting the flanks with slicing balls through and over the top to wingers Alyssa Thompson and Michelle Cooper, Canada began to crumble. The margins were exacerbated by the sticky D.C. heat; the game kicked off at 7:30 p.m., and temperatures were still in the mid-80s. The humidity made it feel like 90 degrees for the 19,215 in attendance.
A rocking sold out crowd 👏
Thank you, DC ❤️ pic.twitter.com/RVvsmHTVBt
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 3, 2025
Hayes continued to make changes in the second half, bringing on Sentnor and forward Emma Sears for Lavelle and Cooper, and Ryan and Sam Meza for Biyendolo and Hutton, respectively. Meza, along with defender Lilly Reale, who started and played the whole game, are two of the three young players called in to this camp from the under-23 group, a move reflecting part of Hayes’ larger project to develop both national teams.Speaking on the TNT broadcast after the game, defender Naomi Girma explained that there had been an “emphasis on second balls” throughout camp and “just being hungry, wanting the ball, and putting it in the back of the net.”Girma, who plays for Chelsea and was the only player based in Europe to report to this camp after Hayes granted the group a summer off following league play, said she was “very happy with” the team’s improvement on set pieces, which had been a noticeably sore spot the past few years.What You Should Read NextHow Emma Hayes is fortifying the pathway from the under-23s to the senior USWNT squadHayes is determined to shrink the gaps she’s identified between age groups within the national team setup — and it seems to be working
“For our growth as a program, we need new players coming in,” she added of Hayes’ approach to developing fresh talent. “I think it’s a great camp.”
Convincing win aside, the United States’ performance was not without its critiques. At halftime, Hutton pointed out on the TNT broadcast that the team looked “a bit messy” at times, and that it needed to play quicker, smarter and score more goals in the second. TNT sideline reporter Melissa Ortiz also relayed early in the second half that there were issues with the midfield rotation and that Reale needed to push up higher.
When asked whether she was surprised by Canada’s performance or the relative ease with which the U.S. managed to maintain their grip on the game, Lavelle said, “It felt like a really good performance that we’ve been working towards. So I think that that’s the standard that we have for ourselves, and now that’s the expectation, that’s where we have to start going forward.”The 30 year old returned to the USWNT following a six and a half month absence as she recovered from an ankle injury. Despite the goal and three assists total that she contributed across the team’s three matches in this window, Lavelle said there are still aspects of her game that she wants to “sharpen up technically.”The next set of USWNT matches for its window in October are yet to be announced, but the trio of victories provided ample studying notes for Hayes as younger and less experienced players made their cases to be included in the core group Hayes wants to identify as the U.S. builds toward the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.(Top photo: Jess Rapfogel / Getty Images)
| A Tougher Job Than Anticipated |
 |
| It does not take long for reality to set in. Less than a year ago, Mauricio Pochettino was giving his first press conference as manager of the United States men’s national team. His eyes twinkled as he allowed his thoughts to wander to the challenges, and maybe even the triumphs, that lay ahead. Pochettino is a great believer in universal energy. He burns incense. He places lemons, strategically, to absorb negativity. |
| Everything, back then, seemed aligned. Pochettino was full of zest. He talked about winning over the fanbase with “nice football, good football, exciting football, attacking football.” The aesthetic, he said, was “really important.” “We are in the USA, you know,” he told his audience. And in the United States, the inference went, you need to put on a show. |
| Most of all, though, he wanted to change the “culture” of the national team. That would be difficult, he acknowledged, but he clearly felt it was possible. He wanted a side that fought for each other, that was not content just to take part, to be seen as equals, but that yearned to win. “We need to believe that we can win,” he said. “That we can win all [of the] games. We can win the World Cup.” |
| Dream Big: An Inside Look at USMNT Head Coach Pochettino |
| Judging a coach by their soundbites is, in truth, a little unfair. Pochettino could not realistically sit there, in front of the gathered news media, and declare that of course the United States could not win the World Cup, that even to mention the possibility was hopelessly naive, that the best the (main) host nation of next year’s tournament could hope for was an uplifting run to the quarterfinals. To do so would be to doom him to failure. And besides, that is not how athletes – or those involved in professional sports – think. To Pochettino, the chance that he might win the World Cup may be infinitesimal, but it is still a chance. |
| Still, the contrast with the landscape, 10 months on, is stark. Yes, Pochettino has reached the final in his first major tournament as coach of the United States, but he has done so in arguably the least encouraging manner imaginable. A comprehensive opening victory against Trinidad and Tobago aside, the US has sweated through the Gold Cup, beating traditional CONCACAF rival Saudi Arabia, Haiti, and Guatemala, in the semifinals, by a single goal apiece, and edging past Costa Rica on penalties in the quarters. |
| There are mitigating factors here, admittedly. Pochettino is working with a second, and in some cases third, choice squad. Most of his major stars are not present, absent either through injury or their involvement in the Club World Cup. Christian Pulisic, his most potent weapon, was excluded after asking to be excused from the tournament. |
| Far more distressing than the performances, though, has been the apathy. The Gold Cup has not exactly captivated the American public. It is tempting to attribute that to the unfamiliarity of the squad – as well as to the distraction of the Club World Cup – but even that feels like kind of a reach; U.S. fans have turned out to watch teams with much less impressive credentials than this one. |
| By his own measures, Pochettino has failed to deliver. He has not won over his public. His team are not playing especially good soccer. The idea that the United States might win the World Cup is more ridiculous now than it was 10 months ago. If anything, next summer has started to take on a vague air of menace, the sense of fear and inevitability that accompanies an imminent car crash. |
 |
| Snaring Pochettino was no small coup for U.S. Soccer. He is, without question, an elite coach. He took Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final. He was an N’golo Kanté injury away from winning the Premier League. He has coached Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. His résumé is quite a lot better than that of any of his predecessors. It seemed, when he was appointed, as though U.S. Soccer was very much punching above its weight. |
| It is hard not to wonder, though, if Pochettino might have misunderstood the nature of the task. As another high-profile coach, Thomas Tuchel, is discovering with England at roughly the same time, being an international manager might look a lot like a sinecure: a lavish salary for a couple of months work a year, and free tickets to all the games you want. That is how it is often presented; it is a job, in the eyes of the game as a whole, for old men. |
| Beneath the surface, it is much more complicated. It not only involves trying to build a culture, and implement a style of play, in maybe a couple of dozen training sessions, spread over a year, but requires a coach to carry with them the hopes and dreams of an entire nation, no matter how distant, how unrealistic they might be. You have to be a talisman and a lightning rod, a salesman and a politician. How well you can organize a pressing system is some way down the list. |
| Pochettino will know that now, and will have to decide how he reacts. A story emerged in England last week that he had been sounded out as a potential successor to Thomas Frank at Brentford. There have been whispers that, had a slightly more glamorous club come calling, he might have been receptive. The World Cup sits visible, now, on the horizon. This is no time for itchy feet. |
| It is, instead, time to live his values. The Gold Cup might not have brought the sort of glory Pochettino might have wanted, but it has been a useful learning experience. Not just because this summer has confirmed that the likes of Diego Luna and Jack McGlynn have a role to play next year, once the more established names have returned, but because – as Tim Ream has said – there have been signs of a team that is starting to prove it cannot “be pushed around.” The U.S. has started to bare its teeth. |
| That is the sort of thing a manager can work with, the sort of environment that returning players can buy into, the green shoots of an emergent culture. It is also a story that can be sold to the public. Pochettino knows, deep down, that is what he needs: not a particular style of play, but a journey that the fans can enjoy. He must rediscover that energy, that confidence that he exuded when he first took the job. He has to let those lemons do their job, absorb the negativity, dissolve the bad vibes. When life gives you lemons, after all, there are things you can make with them. |
Watch Clint Dempsey break down the exhilaration of last night’s U.S. win
Enjoying USMNT Only? Check out our other newsletters covering the USWNT and Premier League 
When La Furia Azul last reached a CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-final, “Independence Day” was dominating the box office and Manchester United were one of the best teams in world football. If you’re of a certain vintage, 1996 doesn’t feel like it was 29 years ago, but for Guatemalan football fans, who cling to cult heroes like Juan Carlos Plata and Carlos Ruiz, it’s been an age. 
Poch’s new favorite playmaker, Mailk Tillman, 
Speaking of midfielders on the move, seems to only be a matter of time until Johnny Cardoso makes the 330-mile trip from Real Betis in Seville to join Atlético Madrid in the Spanish capital. 
Despite strong rumors involving a move to Nottingham Forest, 
Lucky No. 13 at Craven Cottage? While he’s one of the many American strikers absent from the Gold Cup, Ricardo Pepi, who’s still rehabbing from a January knee injury, is 
Meanwhile, the USMNT’s current starting striker is making the move to England: Charlotte FC’s 
Sunday night’s winning penalty taker in the shootout, 20-year-old forward 
USMNT international, former Atlanta United player, and current Chelsea fullback Caleb Wiley is 
Goalkeeper Matt Freese played a key role in the U.S. reaching the last four. (Carlos Gonzalez / ISI Photos / USSF / Getty Images)
Veteran Tim Ream has been a leader for the USMNT throughout the Gold Cup (Photo by Brad Rempel/Imagn Images)
Rubio Rubin celebrates his clutch goal vs. Canada in the Gold Cup quarterfinals (Photo by Matt Krohn/Imagn Images)
Damion Downs clinches the USMNT’s win over Costa Rica. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
USMNT players celebrate their Gold Cup quarterfinal win over Costa Rica. (Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images)
See the full list of Club World Cup match results 
The USWNT works out at Audi Field on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Canada in Washington, D.C. (Asli Pelit / The Athletic)
Canada’s Gold Cup run ended in the quarterfinals (Photo by Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)
Jacob Shaffelburg is sent off vs. Guatemala, leaving Canada with 10 men for the second half (Photo by Brad Rempel/Imagn Images)
It’s back to the drawing board for Canada and Jesse Marsch after a humiliating Gold Cup ouster (Photo Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Canada’s Jacob Shaffelburg is red carded vs. Guatemala (Photo by Kerem Yucel/AFP/Getty Images)
NWSL players Jess Carter (L) and Esme Morgan (C) will represent England at this year’s European Championship. (Harriet Lander – The FA/The FA via Getty Image)
: The U.S. make heavy weather, continuing to lack pace and sharpness in the final third, but find a way to win 1-0. I see a Berhalter goal, huge celebrations on the field, and a Pochettino grimace on the sideline.
Matt Freese has earned four caps, all in June. (Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
The USMNT’s results in the Gold Cup group stage gave Mauricio Pochettino some reason to smile (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images “This was preparation. Now we’ll be playing a final, it’s all or nothing,” Pochettino said. “So we have to be prepared. We will be prepared, no matter the opponent we face. It’s our challenge: we have to compete well, to keep competing well and continue improving. We have a week to prepare for this game, so I have no doubt we’ll get there in the best possible way.”Pochettino has been clear that what he wants is open competition for the team he takes to the World Cup. If the players are going to make an impression, they will need to win some knockout games. It’s not unlike the challenge a similar U.S. group had at the 2021 Gold Cup. Coming off of an emotional 2021 Nations League victory over Mexico, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter took a ‘B’ squad to the Gold Cup later that summer. Mexico, meanwhile, did not. It sparked debate about what the better plan was. On the one hand, Mexico got an extra month working together. On the other, Berhalter got a chance to look at a wider pool. What the U.S. did in that tournament ended any debate. It beat Haiti, Canada and Martinique in the group stage, advancing with a plus-seven goal differential — the same as this year’s team. Then it beat Jamaica, 1-0, in the quarterfinals and Qatar, 1-0, in the semifinals before meeting Mexico in the championship game. A 1-0 win in extra time helped to secure a second trophy that summer — and it announced the U.S. as being “back” as a top power in Concacaf.Before this camp started, U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner talked about how that Gold Cup win helped him break through as a real option for Berhalter’s U.S. team. A year and a half later, Turner was starting in Qatar.That’s the 
USMNT concedes a goal to Haiti in the Gold Cup (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Ryan O’HanlonJun 26, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Landon Donovan’s foray into the Christian Pulisic national team debate has been one of American soccer’s stories of the summer. (Shaun Clark / ISI Photos / Getty Images)
Clint Dempsey and an 18-year-old Christian Pulisic celebrate a USMNT goal against Honduras in 2017. (David Madison / Getty Images)
Clint Dempsey says the example of ex-USMNT midfielder José Francisco Torres shows the value of increased developmental opportunities. (Misael Montaño / LatinContent via Getty Images)
Hayes and Coffey during the former’s first game in charge of the USWNT last June. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Morgan’s last game for the U.S. came over a year ago and is no longer part of the picture (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
Bill ConnellyJun 27, 2025, 08:31 AM ET
Al Hilal
Bayern Munich
Benfica
Borussia Dortmund
Botafogo
Chelsea
Flamengo
Fluminense
Inter Miami
Inter Milan
Juventus
Manchester City
Monterrey
Palmeiras
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid
Kane dips his head into an ice bucket and laps water over his face (DAZN)
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland at the Club World Cup (Patricia De Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images)
Lloyd Kelly playing for Juventus at the Club World Cup (Francois Nel/Getty Images)
Before an agonizingly empty stadium, our U.S. boys did just enough to overcome a weak Saudi Arabian squad who have been here for about five minutes but already seem to be the epitome of CONCACAF. The game itself felt like a chore to watch. The U.S. had 72% possession in the first half but conjured zero shots on goal against a physical opponent. The football was sparkless, tepid and lacking in ambition and ideas. To progress from the group will be a relief for Mauricio Pochettino but it is a bare minimum for a program who has won its first two games in this tournament 15 out of 18 times.Chris Richards Is a Great American 
The Crystal Palace giant out of Birmingham, Ala. was a man amongst boys in this game. That a pair of 
How was this performance so plodding? Pochettino has made it utterly explicit he wants players who will fight for him. So many of these boys have been gifted an unexpected opportunity they could never have dreamed of: To make themselves unignorable for that World Cup squad on home turf. Yet, the performance was flatter than the Texas Panhandle. The football was so deferential. No one seized their chance to grab a drowsy game by the throat and enforce their will upon it. Working out why that is will be the key for Pochettino. Malik Tillman has the skills and the club form to do that. Patrick Agyemang has the hype and the plaudits but was unable to summon the touch or the balance. All of these players have sacrificed so much to make it to this stage. One transcendent moment could change their lives. If only the football reflected that…I Do Love Me Some Diego Luna 
The one player who is running off the ball and trying to create a spark with his flicks and tricks. I ran into Diego in Austin and told him just how much we are hearing from so many of you about his fight, hustle, and mustache-tinged singular swagger. I asked him what goes through his mind when he gets on the ball, and he told me he tries to “be happy” and summon “the joy he felt playing as a kid.” I said that to Clint on last night’s show, and he said that when he was young his brother used to tell him, he “had to be serious about having fun.” A phrase I love and will think of whenever Diego is in possession. Even Spinal Tap Drummers Think Our No 9 Position Is Doomed 
Haji Wright’s injury is a real concern for our boys. With Agyemang crying out for competition, Haji did not dress, left out of the squad with an Achilles issue. Kyle Bonn reported, “After a big sigh, Mauricio Pochettino on Haji Wright‘s injury: “
The goalkeeper battle between two Matts is psychologically intriguing. Matt Turner was the No 1 and has battled his way to a Premier League crevice, albeit with precious little playing time. For a player shorn of match practice, it must be an agony to have had a watching brief. NYCFC’s Harvard grad Matt Freese has been wicked smart in goal — two clean sheets off ONE SAVE TOTAL IN THOSE TWO GAMES. Guzan has to be watching and thinking that if he started smoking ciggies, he could maybe be the American version of Wojciech Szczęsny and make an unexpected return from exile. It Is Painful to See These Stadia so Empty for a United States Game On Home Turf a Year Out from the World Cup 
Watching the United States walk out to 
If you’re in the Dallas area and considering going to the game, 
The Knockout Rounds Will Be Moment Of Truth Time 
We may play Costa Rica or Mexico. To better days ahead for all of us. We need to make noise. We need to be able to dream. Our gents will next play against the NBA Finals Game 7. We cannot catch a break… 
What a surreal sight this tournament has been. Hastily thrown together from an organization perspective and even more shoddily marketed. Having Gianni Infantino be the face of his own creation was an almost vanity marketing campaign, with iShowSpeed bolted on for clout. The 
Dale JohnsonJun 21, 2025, 06:13 AM ET
Mauricio Pochettino has the USMNT into the Gold Cup knockout stage (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
USMNT fans were conspicuously absent for Thursday’s Gold Cup match vs. Saudi Arabia (Photo by Noah Goldberg/Getty Images)
USMNT GK Matt Freese embraces Chris Richards after the latter’s hustle and tackle prevented a great Saudi Arabia chance (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)
Tyler Adams played the second half in Saturday’s loss to Turkey. (Photo by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire/AP Images)
Malik Tillman missed a golden opportunity to score vs. Turkey. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)
Agyemang, who grew up miles from the Connecticut stadium, takes on Demiral. (Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)
Estevao Willian is a rising star and will be joining Chelsea later this summer (Daniel Duarte/AFP via Getty Images)
Will Inter Miami’s underwhelming form carry over into the Club World Cup? (Rich Lam/Getty Images)
(Christian Alvarenga/Getty Images)
Martin Anselmi was only able to guide Porto to a third-place finish this season (Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images)Another story is how Al Ahly will fare under manager Jose Riveiro, whose first official game in charge will be that opener against Miami. Predecessor Marcel Koller was sacked in late April following their 1-1 draw at home against Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final, which led to the holders’ elimination on the away-goals rule.Despite guiding Al Ahly to two league titles (and most of a third), two Egypt Cups (the country’s domestic knockout competition) and back-to-back Champions League triumphs, Koller was under pressure during the 2024-25 season due to a reactive style of play that didn’t suit the profiles of the squad.The manager’s seat at Al Ahly is always a hot one, and Riveiro, a 49-year-old Spaniard who was previously a manager in Finland and South Africa, needs a strong start to gain the fans’ approval.
Jeff KassoufJun 4, 2025, 01:20 PM ET
Girma has taken on a lot of the leadership responsibility left behind by Sauerbrunn. (Visionhaus / Getty Images)Listening to her former teammates after the match, it was clear: the trust and respect Sauerbrunn commands were built over years of grit, consistency and quiet leadership, beginning with her debut in 2008, when she earned her first cap against Canada at the Four Nations Tournament in China, playing with a broken nose.“Becky is a legend, an icon,” Kerry Abello, who made her debut Tuesday, said after the match. “The game of women’s soccer will never be the same without her.” Abello was eight years old when Sauerbrunn debuted back in 2008. Like many of the new generation of USWNT players, she grew up admiring her.On the pitch, Sauerbrunn was a tireless, dependable center back; off it, she was a steady leader who played a key role in collective bargaining negotiations with the U.S. Soccer, representing her fellow players at the table year after year, and helping the team achieve equal pay.She was always calm and composed, even when somebody made a mistake. “Becky doesn’t get mad often, but if you mess up, like pass to the wrong player… she’ll give you this look,” Biyendolo said after Tuesday’s match. “That ‘I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed’ look. That’s the Becky look.”Ask anyone who played alongside Sauerbrunn about the “Becky stare,” and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.Hayes didn’t get the chance to coach Sauerbrunn — she took over the team in May last year — but her admiration also runs deep, especially for how the defender has shaped the next generation.“It’s always nice when the people you leave behind talk about someone in such a way,” Hayes said. “I’ve got a locker room — not just the senior players, but less experienced players — that talk about her in the highest esteem, both as a leader and as a human being, and I don’t think you could want anything more than that in life.”(Top photo: Bill Barrett / Getty Images)
Girma celebrates with Coffey and Heaps (Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Girma listens to instructions from Hayes (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Girma playing for Chelsea against Manchester United in the FA Cup final (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
(Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
(Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
(Lou Benoist/AFP via Getty Images)
(Luke Hales/Getty Images)
(Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
(YouTube/Fanatiz)
Angel City signing Sveindís Jónsdóttir saw Alex Straus’ success playing against his teams in Germany. (Martin Rose / Getty Images)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74074210/2213250297.0.jpg)
It’s Inter Milan vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the final! How will things play out, and what will be the score?
Bowen strikes late to win the Europa Conference League for West Ham (Photo by Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images)
Bergkamp’s Inter also beat Ian Crook’s Norwich City on the way to winning the UEFA Cup (Shaun Botterill/ALLSPORT/Getty Images)
Bob Wilson, Peter Simpson and Frank McLintock savour Arsenal’s Fairs Cup victory (Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Schalke’s Jens Lehmann and Mike Buskens sandwich Inter’s Youri Djorkaeff at San Siro (Ben Radford /Allsport/Getty images)
Sevilla’s players celebrate after winning a seventh Europa League (Ferenc Isza/AFP via Getty Images)
Merino has been used as a makeshift forward (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Rice looks rueful as Ben White shakes Donnarumma’s hand after the final whistle in Paris (Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images)
Staff clear tangerines from the Tannardice turf (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Carter-Vickers, Trusty, Jeffrey Schlupp and Arne Engels celebrate on a fruit-free field (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Richards and Ben Chilwell helped Palace shut out Aston Villa (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Paredes grabs Freiburg’s Patrick Osterhage (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Cardoso is enjoying his time with Real Betis (Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Yamal is a genius on the ball but offers little protection (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
De Jong says Barcelona will not sacrifice their principles (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter now runs the Chicago Fire in MLS. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
Sebastian Berhalter has had plenty to celebrate in 2025. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
Sebastian Berhalter marks Lionel Messi in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals. (Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/Imagn Images)
Ruben Amorim’s domestic struggles have been forgotten in Europe (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham have a vast stadium – and resources (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Yamal bends in a beautiful Champions League goal against Inter (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Messi and Ronaldo shifted expectations, but Yamal is doing things beyond them at 17 (Lluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images)
Mbappe has done it on the biggest stages (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Rodri has been absent from the pitch and maybe our minds? (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Whisper it quietly, but Arsenal could go all the way (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Defeat at Lille is one of several Champions League low points for Real Madrid this season (Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images)
Raphinha and Yamal have Barcelona flying high again (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Dortmund’s chances of turning over a four-goal deficit are reflected in The Athletic’s projections (David Ramos/Getty Images)
Inter’s late win in Munich has boosted their chances of overall victory (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Can Bayern turn around their tie in San Siro? (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Momentum is with PSG, but can they maintain it? (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)
Carter-Vickers celebrates with his Celtic team-mates (Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)
Pulisic prepares to take a corner at Udinese (Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Richards nods in Palace’s second at the Etihad Stadium (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Reyna, centre, in training at Dortmund (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)
Christian Pulisic and the USMNT struggled in the Nations League finals. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
U.S. fullback Antonee Robinson was hailed for his performance against Liverpool and Mohamed Salah. (Photo by Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images)
Brazil’s Kerolin Nicoli was a threat all evening. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
The USWNT fell to a defeat against Brazil in San Jose. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson celebrate the opening goal against Brazil at SoFi Stadium. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)
Alyssa Thompson has worked herself back into the U.S. team after a long absence in 2024. (Bailey Holiver / Imagn Images)
Angel City teammate Riley has had a front-row seat to Alyssa Thompson’s rise. (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)
Michele Kang with U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson. (Mike Lawrence / Getty Images for USSF)
Lily Yohannes celebrates scoring in her debut for the U.S. against South Korea last June. (Brad Smith / Getty Images)
Lily Yohannes and Catarina Macario have bonded in their short time together on the national team. (Ary Frank / Getty Images for USSF)
The Ole BallCoach 